drill press table problems

[RogerGarrett]

I have an older, 14 inch Delta drill press - model 14-070 that has a crack in the 90 degree angle bracket that holds the table in place. The Cast iron bracket is welded to the table - it is all one piece. I can remove the table - leaving the raising and lowering mechanism in place, and I had the table brazed/welded once - but it is cracking again.

Apparently, this table is a part that is no longer made and I have no way to really use the drill (which is just fine) without a good table.

Any suggestions as to how to replace the table with another (Delta tells me there is no replacement available) or to still maybe fix this table?

I'm not opposed to just buying a new drill press (love a new tool purchase!), but it seems like a big waste of drill press power to toss this one?

Best,
Roger Garrett

 

[amosfella]

If you have any used tool places or tool scrapyards, go there and have a look. Also, check out farm auction sales.
Or, you could take a set of calipers, and find a model with a similar sized post and gearing for raising and lowering the table, and order a table for that.
Even if the track gearing on the post isn't the same, order the gearing for the new one. Call it an upgrade.
Post size will have to be exactly the same though.
Find a guy in a store that loves tools, and knows a lot about them. I had a problem with my table saw fence. The saw was from the 70s. The guy we talked to knew his tools, said that fence wasn't made anymore, but if you buy this fence and new rails, and do this this, and this, then ...... It will work quite well.
So, I drove over there, and he had even drawn up a plan how to attach it by the time I got there.
If you can find a guy like that, you'll get it fixed.

 

[jttheclockman]

Roger

What are you using on it that it is cracking??? Is the table flexing that much to cause cracks??? Are you drilling off center??? There has to be a reason it is cracking. If you do not want to get it welded again or have a different bracket atached to it you can look at the newer models and see if the table is compatable. Just because a part is not available for that model doesn't mean a newer part can not be used. It may have a slightly different setup but can be modified to your use. Check schematics of other Delta tables or if you have a place that sells these take a physical look.

 

[kirkfranks]

Cast iron is a pain to weld, but it can be done by a good welder.
Check out a local welding shop around lunch time (have a $20.00 bill sticking out of your shirt pocket).

 

[greenmtnguy]

I had a large item that was cast iron with a crack. Went to see my brother who was a welder in a machine shop. It can be welded. The problem with most welders is that they can't generate enough heat for a good weld. In comes the cutting torch. Don't cut, but heat it up good and the weld can be successfully done. It worked for me.

 

[markgum]

Roger what is the size of the table? I have a couple of old Drill presses maybe I have a table of the right size .

 

[Randy_]

Unless your DP table is poorly designed or has been abused, it should be repairabe. Repairing cast iron is a tricky business. Not every welder has the knowledge and equipment to make a proper repair. If you are sure the guy who did the first repair is qualified, I would go back to him and discuss the situation. If you have the slightest reason to suspect your first welder was lacking, I would look around for a welder who is competent to repair cast iron. A good repair is likely to be your best solution.

Althouigh it is not absolutely necerssary, most repair techniques require that the part being repaired be preheated to around 1000° before being brazed or welded. Did you observe the repair process and see that the table was preheated?? CI pieces that are welded without pre-heating do typically tend to continue to crack after the repair is performed.

Next thing is to be be skeptical of the information you got, initially, from Delta and look a little closer into the possibility that there is Delta replacement available. It is my experience that the folks who answer the phones, don't always have all of the answers and that when "digging deeper" additional information turns up that wasn't offered at first. The critical element in replacing the table is the diameter of the support post. If you can find another model of Delta DP with that size post, the chances are high that you can adapt that table to your DP. That being said, it is possible that the cost of a replacement table wouild be so high that you might be just was well off to buy another DP.

Depending upon how much of a hurry you are in,you might watch eBay or craig's ist There was a Delta 14-070 sold on eBay in September for $61. You probably wouldn't want to pay to ship the entire DP but is might be worth while to ask a seller to just send you the table if the price is right/

You might also want to try here: http://www.owwm.com They have a forum and you might be able to find what you need here.

Good luck!!

 

[RogerGarrett]

Roger

What are you using on it that it is cracking??? Is the table flexing that much to cause cracks??? Are you drilling off center??? There has to be a reason it is cracking. If you do not want to get it welded again or have a different bracket atached to it you can look at the newer models and see if the table is compatable. Just because a part is not available for that model doesn't mean a newer part can not be used. It may have a slightly different setup but can be modified to your use. Check schematics of other Delta tables or if you have a place that sells these take a physical look.

My thinking is that the table may have been defective initially, but only over the last ten years has it been really used a great deal. I don't do much on it other than basic clamping, drilling, etc. I also use a horizontal mini-saw blade for my cases - but that doesn't require that I move the chuck up and down with the handle - thus, no real pressure.

When I contacted Delta, they were very clear that if there was a fix, they would want to help me Translation - there is no part so there is no help. I'm not exactly sure how to go about getting gear from a different drill press that is available and transferring it. I think that the column is 2-3/4 round. I can mic it to be sure........

Roger

 

[marcruby]

I was thinking that this would be a great opportunity to see if you can get someone to fabricate a table that can be adjusted easily for drilling angle front to back.

Marc